Hong-Sau challenges

NairIndia

Question

I have been practicing the Hong-Sau technique for some time now. However, I am having trouble keeping my eyes focussed at the point between the eyebrows. After some time, invariably, I find my eyes have shifted focus. Is there any other technique by which I can overcome this. Another challenge I am facing is while mentally repeating Hong Sau and focussing on the breath, there is a tendency to control the breath to follow a particular rythm. How can I overcome these, pls help.

Answer

It is wonderful to hear that you have been practicing Hong-Sau for some time now. Keep it up!

Probably everyone has at least some difficulty keeping the eyes focused at the point between the eyebrows and having them never move from that place.

The reason is that we lose our concentration, and as our minds wander off into conscious thought, or subconscious wandering, rather than remaining in superconscious absorption, our eyes follow our levels of consciousness, and therefore shift their position.

Catching it the moment you notice it; then gently re-position your eyes. Don't get discouraged; just keep doing it — over and over, forever if needed. But most likely, you will soon form a habit which will take care of having to think about it at all.

Be sure your eyes are as relaxed as possible and not straining in any way. The more you relax, the more your eyes will automatically go into this upward position. Also keep your brow smooth and unwrinkled, your eyes un-crossed. Don't knit your eyebrows together, even slightly.

To help overcome the tendency to control the breath or follow a particular rhythm, try adding in visualization. Imagine that your breath is like the ocean coming up gently onto a beach as you inhale and moving away gently again as you exhale.

Just as you could never control the ocean's waves, so you begin to feel you can't control your breath, rather just observe.

It's almost as if you are observing someone else's breathing. Detach from your own breath as much as possible and just OBSERVE IT. Mentally say "It's not my breath! I'm just watching it come and go as it will."

Also paying more attention to the pauses between the breaths, than to the breath itself, should help you. Don't hold your breath. Let it go on naturally, but tune in to those pauses, especially after you exhale.

Pray for help and guidance from our Masters with both of your Hong-sau challenges. They WILL help you.